Photographic-print washer



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

P. SHURIG.

PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINT WASHER.

N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. SHURIG. PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINT WASHER.

No. 590,632. Patented Sept. 28,1897.

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ilsrrnn States PATENT @rrrcno FRANK .SI-IURIG, OF IIUN"INGBURG, INDIANA.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT \NASHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,632, datedSeptember 28, 1897.

.Application filed February 19, 1896. Serial No. 579,909. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concur/2 Be it known that I, FRANK SHURIG, a citizenof the United States, residing at Huntingburg, in. the county of Duboisand State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Photographic Printand Negative \Vasher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to photographic print and negative washers; andit has for its object to effect certain improvements in washingapparatus of this character whereby a continuous supply of clean wateris circulated throughout a bunch of prints or a rack of negatives; andin the accomplishment of this object the invention provides means forpositively insuring an equal and thorough washing of every print ornegative placed in the washer and at the same time positively preventingprints from bunchin g or matting together. V

\Vith these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a photographic printand negative washing apparatus constructed in accordance with thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view thereof. Fig. 3is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is anenlarged detail sectional view of the bottom portion of the wash vessel,illustrating the disposition of the jet-openings in the perforate falsebottom.

Referring to the accompal'lying drawings, 1 designates a wash-tableprovided in the top thereof with an operating opening 2, adapted to becovered by a circular cover or lid 3, hinged at one edge, as at 4, tothe top of the table and provided at its free edge with a finger-knob 5,whereby the said lid or cover may be readily raised or lowered. Suitablysupported from the under side of the tabletop, below the opening 2therein, is a metallic wash vessel 6, which is preferably circular incross-section and flared upwardly toward the top of the table from whichthe said vessel is suspended.

The upwardly-flared wash vessel 6 may be square or of any otherconvenient or desirable shape and is provided with a dished conicalbottom 7, having at its apex an opening 8, in which is fitted the upperend of a water-inlet pipe 9, to which inlet-pipe 9 are respectivelyconnected the separate valved water-supply and drain pipes 10 and 11.The water-supply pipe 10 is designed to be connected with a hydrant orother source of water-supply, whereby water will be carried underpressure through the pipes 10 and 1) into the bottom of the wash vessel6, and arranged within the bottom portion of said wash vessel 6 is adished perforate false bottom 12,which is illustrated as beingsubstantially parallel with the dished conical bottom 7 of the vessel.The downwardly-dished false bottom 12 of the wash vessel 6 is providedthroughout its area with a multiplicity of jetopenings 13, which, byreason of theconical shape of the false bottom, have their sidesdisposed at an angle to the vertical center of the vessel, and at theapex of the false bottom 12 the central one of the jet-openings 13 islarger than the other openings to provide for directing a stronger jetof water upward through the vertical center of the wash vessel, for apurpose to be morefully explained.

The perforate bottom 12 of the wash vessel, in addition to thejet-openings 13 thereof, is provided with a downwardly-converging seriesof radially-disposed reinforce-ribs 14, which ribs not only serve tostrengthen the bottom 12 to obviate bulging thereof under heavyhydrant-pressure, but also provide a ribbed or uneven surface on'whichprints being washed will rest when "it is necessary to drain the surpluswater from the prints. In explanation of this function of the ribs 14.-it will be noted that said ribs prevent the prints, when surplus wateris being drained from the vessel, from adhering to or resting flat onthe upper surface of the bottom 12, over the openings 13, and therebyclosing any of said openings and interfering with the free draining ofthe vessel.

The wash vessel 6 is provided near its upper edge with an annular seriesof overflowopenings 15, which communicate withan annular gutter-rim 16,eXteriorly fitted to the wash vessel 6, near its upper edge. The saidgutter-rim 16 has its outer wall extended above the plane of the upperedge of the vessel (3, so that the said gut-ter-riin will positivelyreceive the overflow from the vessel 6 irrespective of the height thewater reaches in such vessel, and said gutter-rim it is pro vided in onelower side with an overflow-pipe connection 17, which provides forcarrying off the overtlowavater from the wash vessel (5', and therebymaintaining a constant circulation of clean water therein.

In operation the valve or cool; in the drainpipe 11 is closed and cleanwater under pressure passes through the pipes 10 and 0 into the bottomof the vessel 0 and distributes itself under the perforate false bottom'I 2. It will of course be understood that if prints are to be washed abunch thereof is placed directly in the vessel above the false bottom,and if negatives are to be washed a suitable rack filled with negativesis placed within the vessel on the said false bottom. The water whichenters the vessel under the false bottom is forced through thejet-openings 12 of said false bottom in a number of small jets, andsince the said jetopenings are disposed atan angle to the verticalcenter of the vessel 6 the water as it rises within the vessel and fillsthe same will be in a constant state of agitation and will circulate inevery direction, so as to reach each and every one of a batch of printsor a rack of negatives, and thereby cause every print or negative to beevenly and thoroughly washed. 13y reason of this particular circulationof the water throughout the wash vessel prints will be p revented frombunching 0r matting together, and by reason of having a stronger jet ofwa ter rising centrally from the apex of the false bottom 12 prints willbe prevented from set-- tling down to the bottom of the vessel at thispoint, and said central strong jet of water also assists materially incausing the water to freely circulate toward and through theovertlow-openings 15 into the gutter-rim 10, thereby insuring a constantdischarge of the impure water and a constant circulation of clean water.\V'hen it is desired to wash out the wash vessel or drain the same, thevalve in the water-supply pipe 10 is closed, while that in pipe 11 isopened, thereby allowing the vessel to be readily and thoroughly washedout from the interior thereof.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of this invention.

llaving thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a photographic print and negative washer, a wash vessel. having anoverflow connection at the top and provided with a dished conical bottomhaving a combined water-supply and drain pipe connection at its apex,and a downwaidly-dished false bottom titted within the vessel above themain bottom thereof and provided with a multi' plicity of ,jet-o'ienings whose sides are disposed at an angle to the vertical center ofthe vessel, the central one of said openings being larger than the otherof said openings, substantially as set forth.

2. In a photographic print and negative washer, a wash vessel providednear its upper edge with. an annular series of overflow-openings andwith a do\vnwardly-dished conical bottom having a combined water-supmyand drain pipe connection at its apex, a down \vardly-dished falsebottom titted within the vessel above the main bottom thereof andprovided with a multiplicity of jet-openings and with adownwardly-ci'nivergent series of radially-disposed rei nforce-ribs, andan ann nlar gutter-rim titted eXteriorly on the wash vessel near itsupper edge to receive the overflow from said overilow-openings,substantiall y as set forth.

In a photographic print and negative washer, a wash vessel having aWater-inlet opening at the bottom and an overflow eon nection at thetop, and a false bottom arranged within the vessel above the waterinletopening and provided with amultiplicity of jet-openings and a convergingseries of radially-disposed reinforce-ribs, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto al'tixedmysignaturc in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK Sll'Ul'tlG.

\l'itnesses:

EDMUND PlfllilifARD'l, AvcUsr SALAT.

